Maybe you’ve heard that students can self-report their SAT score. Great, you’re thinking. Self-report a 1600 and stop worrying about this test! Unfortunately, that’s not how self-reporting works. So, what does it actually mean? Let’s take a look at the process and see what schools accept self-reported scores.

Self-reporting means that you can enter your SAT scores into the Common Application yourself before the official score reports are sent. Another form of self-reporting is counselor self-reporting in which a counselor can email a screenshot or a PDF of a student’s score report.

Self-reporting does not mean that an official score report will never be sent. So, if you have to send the official scores anyway, what’s the point? The main reason is that sending score reports is expensive, and for many students this cost deters them from sending a large number of score reports. In an attempt to be accessible to all students, colleges are changing their application policies. Students who self-report will only need to verify their scores to the school they decided to attend with one official report, significantly reducing the costs involved in applying to schools.

Another benefit is that it makes the application review process easier for the admissions committee. If when reviewing an application, the reader doesn’t have to go searching for your official SAT score report, it simplifies the process for them and keeps all of your application information in one place.

Of course, test scores are verified with the official score report before you enroll and any discrepancy would be grounds for revoking your acceptance to the institution.

Where can you self-report your SAT scores? Below is a list of some (not all) schools that accept self-reporting.

Barnard College                      Northwestern University         University of Chicago

Brown University                    Pomona College                       University of Illinois

Caltech                                    Purdue University                    University of San Francisco

Columbia University                 Rice University                        University of Virginia

Duke University                       Santa Clara University            Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech                          Stanford University                 Yale University

Harvard University                  Tufts University

If you are unsure of a school’s self-reporting policy, check out their website or contact the admissions office.